Method of producing alkali by electrolysis.



No. 669,44I. A Patented Mar. 5, |90I. 'H. A. FRASCH.

METHOD 0F PBODUCING ALKKALI BY ELECTRDLYSIS. (Application filed Aug. 16, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HANS A. FRAsoH, orV HAMILTON, 'caminav METHOD OF PRODUCINll- ALKALI BY ELECTROLYSIS.

SPECIFICATION-forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,441, dated March 5, 1901.

Applicationled August 16, 1906. l:'nax'iul No. 27,099. (No specimens.) I

zen of thc United States, residing at Ham'il ton, in the county of Wentworth and. Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented a certain new and useful -Improvement in Methods of Producing Alkali by Electrolysis, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to the electrolytic production of alkali from common salt or any other salt of an alkali.

The customary method of producing alkali from the salts of alkalies consists in decomposing the salt, such as common salt, (sodium chlorid,) by the electric current in such a manner that caustic soda is formed at the cathode and free chlorin is formed at the anode. keep the chlorin separate from 'the alkali, diaphragms being mostly used. In some instances the alkali is obtained by the use of a mercury cathode, whereby an amalgam of sodium and-mercury is obtained, while free chlorin is separated.

In carrying out my invention I separate halogen or mineral acids from the corresponding alkali salts by binding the acids or chlorin in statu nascendi to metals which form a. part or the whole of an anode in an electro-` lytic bath. If, forinstance, a solution such as sodium chlorid is subjected to an electric current in presence of an anode consisting Vof a metal-bearing substance, such as copper and nickel matte, the cathode, consisting of any substance conducting the electric current-chlorid of copper, nickel, iron, dac.-

is formed at the anode, while caustic soda is sists in recovering simultaneously causticv alkaliaud the salts matte.

Having thus stated the principle of my invention, I will proceed now to' describe the same in detail and then will particularly of metals from ores orl Various methods are employed toV point out and distinctly claim the part or improvement which I claim as my invention.

In the accom panying drawings, illustrating 5 5 my invention, in the two figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of one form of apparatus for carrying out my invention, and Fig. 2` is a plan View thereof.

i To carry out my invention-forinstance, to

lobtain caustic soda by the decomposition of common salt-the apparatus as'shown in the accompanying drawings vmay be used though I do not .limit the invention to the kind'of apparatus shownand described.

.The tank or vessel A, of suitable construcover itsbot-tom, which conductor mayib'e a layer of carbon plates or simply a number of conductors composed of a material capable of conducting the electric current and which is not affected by chlorin. This conductor of carbon platesl or .other conductive substance is covered with or embedded in a layer of disintegrated matte or ore B', bearing the metal or metals to be extracted and the chlorids of which should be obtained. This layer of matte or ore., being an electric conductor in itself, takes the current and forms an anode extending over the Whole bottom of the Vessel A, and above this layer of matte, which may be of any desired fi neness, the diaphragm C,.prcferably sand, gro'undquartmvor other silicious or electrically neutral or inert-material, isv located.` Whilethis diaphragm is not van absolute necessity to carry out my process, I prefer the use of it, as otherwise the electrolyte is easily disturbed.

D are cathodes suspended in anyA suitable and easily-removable manner withinthe tank. They may consist of carbon, copper, or any other suitable substance.

E E are pipes provided with suitable stopcocks or valves E2, by which the electrolytic' solution may be withdrawn or replaced .from either beneath or above the diaphragm.

In carrying out my invention the vessel A is filled with salt brine, previously purified, and the Whole is subjected to electrolysis, when the chlorin liberated at and within the anode B reacts with the metals contained in the anode, fo rmin g the corresponding chloride,r

tion, has an electric conductor B extending VlOO " the diaphragm C, as indicated by the arrows.

.matte or ore.

phi-ago: at 'tho cathode. 'lhe electrolysis is omini-.tod until thc'sodium has been decom- 'posethtvhon"the caustic-soda solution is Withdrawnfrom above the diaphragm by the pipe l and replaced by t'resh salt solution. 'lhis is repeated until the metals represented in tho anode arl transformed tochlorids. When "tho solution is drawn oli" and ithe chlorids removed, tho tank maybe recharged with fresh At any time during the procedure ot the process tho solution of the chloiis recovering metals by electrolysis rids may ho withdrawn I'rom beneath the diaphragm through the pipe E. while the correspgnwling amount. ot' tresh sodium solution is automatically supplied by the siphon F from a suit-able supply tank or vessel lt". rying out this process a series of tanks may be conncc'tell and.arraiigcd in such a manner that t-ho electrolyte llows from one tank .to

and through the next in serios, and l have herein shown two 'tanks connected up in scirics. 'Ihesolution'ol` the metals may bernadc to low in one direc-tion, as shown in' Fig. l, holowthe diaphragm C, while the alkali solution may tlow in opposite direction above Iii this manner in one operation caustic soda and the chlorids of metals which are desired to be extracted from orcs or matte may be obtained-to bc snbjectcdto electrolysis in any approved manner.- Sulfate of soda or'any other salt of sodium or potassium maybe used vfor the electrolyte in place of sodium chlorid.y

In 'place ol disintograting the matte the latter may be usedl in shape of sheets or bars 'or in any other form.

So much ot' the process or method herein mineral substances, eonsisting'iu electrolyz" ing a' solution of the saltl ofan alkali in presenceof an anode'composed of the disintegrated' ores or metal-bearing miueral'snbstance containing vthe metal to be extracted, and a snit-able cathode, conductinga supply ot solution of a salt of an alkali both to the -anode and the cathode' and. displacing the metallic solution obtained at the anode'and thc-solution of caustic alkali produced att-he cathode, substantially as described.

i 2. lhexn.etliod ot' decmnposing.,r byau electric current a s-altofan alkali and producing caustic alkali while extracting metals from.

mineral substances74 consist-ing in electrolyzing:l in ono and the samevcssel a solution of a salt-ol an alkaliin presence of' an anode" .composed of a disintegrated mctalbeariturA y.i-njneral substance above. which a cathode is arranged, delivering;l into the upper section .ofthe vessel to the cathode the solution of thev salt ot' the alkali, withdrawing the alkali In car-A there produced above the anode,and delivering below the cathodeI an independent. snpplyol' the solution of the salt 4of thc alkali to the anode in the lower lsection of the vessel and withdrawing,r therefrom the metallic solution obtained at the anode, substantially as described.

3. The method of prodncingalkali and cxtractinc; 4metals from matteor ore,:by electrolysis, which consists in disintegrating or pub-'erizing the metal-bearing matte crore so as to render it freely permeable by the electrolyte, disttilmtinf.,r such mass over the bottom of the vessel iu which the electrolysis is' conducted and utilizing it as an anode, covering itwith a' granular elect'rically-neutral substance, and circulating an electrolyte of a salt ol' an alkali through the mass of th'c anode below tho neutral substance andin contact with the cathode above the neutral subst-ance and electrolyzing the solution ot' the salt of an alkali, and thereby producing 1free alkali about the cathode.

` 4.. 'lhe'method of extracting metals from metal-bearinguxiineral substances and simultaneously prodfncing alkali vby electrolysis, which consists in electrolyzing a solution 'of a salt of `an alkali, in presence of an anode of the mineral substance containing the metals to be` extracted, covered with a granular, permeable electrically-neutral substance, and a cathode suspended in the electrolyte, and

circulating the electrolyte at will below and above the electrically-neutrai substance.

5. In the process of producing alkali and extracting metals from matte or ore by electrolysis, disintegrating "or pulverizing the metatbearing matte or oreso as to render it freely permeable,distributing such substance over the bottomlof the vessel in which the electrolysis is conducted, utilizing itV as an anode covering it with a permeable granular electrically-nentral substance and'electrolyzing a solution'of a salt of an alkali in said vessel.

6( In the process of producing` alkali and extracting metals from matte or'ore, by electrolysis, disintegratimgr or `'pulverizing the metal-bearing matte or ore so as to render it freely permeable by the electrolyte, distribtitng 'such mass over the bot-tom of the vessel in which the electrolysis is conducted and utilizing it as an anode, covering it with a granular permeable electrically-neutral substance and circulating'an electrolyte capable of combining with the metals to be extracted through the anode below the neutral substance and in contact with the'cathode above the neutral substance and 'subjecting it to the action of an electric current.

7. In the process of producing alkali and.

extracting metals from matte or ore, by electrolysis, disintegrating or pulvei'izin'g the vmetal-beating matte or ore so', aste render it freely permeable by the clectrotyt-e, distributing such mass over the bottom of the vessel in which the electrolysis is conducted `and utilizing it.' ns1 an anode, covering it with at In testimony whereof I have hereunto set grauular,per|neable,electricaliy-neutrai submy handthis 14th day of August, A. D. xo stance and circullallting an ellectrollyte capabl 1900. y

of combining wit the meta s to e extracte v 1 through the anode below the neutral sub- HANS A' ERAbCH stuce and electroly'zing a solution of me salt. Witnesses of an alkali in contact with the cathode above E. A. FINCKEL,

.the neutral substance. CHAS. H. BAKER. 

